Complete Rejection - NOT!

Here are some ways to make use of damaged or incorrectly sewn garments.

If you are an Embroiderer, one thing you can count on is that eventually you will end up with damaged or incorrectly sewn garments on an order. Of course, you will have to replace these “rejects” - resulting in an unwanted collection of reminders of a job gone badly.

So what should you do with these souvenirs of lost profits? It’s quite tempting to discard them in disgust, but that would just increase your revenue loss further. Instead, make an attempt to find a new life for your rejects. Even ones with physical damage can be recycled with a little bit of ingenuity on your part. To help you better manage your rejects, we will discuss ways to make use of them.

Recycle your rejects as staff uniforms. In the case of an incorrect logo or color selection, you may be able to remove the thread and sew your logo in its place. Even if there is a hole, you can just add fusible backing on the backside of the fabric and water-soluble topping on the front, and then sew right over the hole. If you don’t wish to remove the old logo, you may be able to sew right over it, especially if your logo has a filled background. Another alternative is to create a patch with your logo and sew the patch over the old logo (or hole). Now you can give your employees (or yourself) some freebies, that if done correctly, may look professional enough that they can even be worn in public, thereby providing additional exposure for your company.

Damaged goods can many times be repaired and used for display items on mannequins or the wall. The beauty of using them on the walls is that you may be able to creatively display them such that any flaws can be hidden from view. For example, if you accidentally sewed together the front and back of a shirt (by not paying attention while installing the hoop on the machine!), removing the thread frees up the two sections, but it also leaves exposed needle tracks on the front and back of the shirt. Certainly you can sew your logo on the front and hide those needle holes, but not on the back. Thus, you can’t wear the shirt in public. Using the shirt in a wall display allows you to hide the damaged backside from view, especially if it’s higher up, where no one can reach it.

If you choose to use it on a mannequin, consider combining the shirt with a jacket, so that the jacket hides the damaged portion of the garment from view. However, be aware that if a customer asks to remove the jacket so they can inspect it closer, the damaged shirt underneath will now be viewable. Of course, if there is no physical damage to a rejected garment, simply add a new logo and display it wherever is convenient in your shop.

Sample kits are another useful destination for recycled rejects. However, since these items will be subjected to close scrutiny on a regular basis, make sure there are no flaws. It’s also important that you remove the original logo if it was sewn incorrectly, or the quality of the stitching was questionable. It is a bad idea to display a customer’s logo to others that was anything less than perfect. (And for that matter, always ask a customer if it is permissible to use his logo in your portfolio and/or sample kit.) Bottom-line, you must develop a sample kit and you must purchase garments to go into it. If you can recycle rejects rather than purchase new items, you save money, as you will recoup the cost of the unacceptable garments.

You can donate some of your rejects to the needy. But treat these organizations with respect and don’t deliver damaged goods. Instead only offer items that are in excellent condition. Also, never donate goods with someone’s logo embroidered on them. No disrespect to those unfortunate souls who are down on their luck and in need of assistance to get back on their feet. But the fact remains that some of them may be found in questionable situations, such that a logo’d garment could end up bringing negative exposure to the owner of that logo. Even worse, since the garment is a “reject” there is probably something wrong with the logo to begin with, which could add yet another level of anxiety for the customer to whom the logo belongs. So, with this in mind, anything you donate to charity should have generic designs on them. Remove the existing logo and sew over the space with something interesting, appealing, creative and generic so that the recipient of your donation gets a brand-new, usable garment that won’t get you into trouble. One other thing, charitable donations are tax-deductible, so be sure to get a receipt! If a rejected item is too damaged to repair or simply not worth your time to recycle as a wearable item, then use it as test material for sew-outs. (Most Embroiderers have their fair share of test materials stored in a box on the corner of a shop.) When you sew-out a customer’s logo for the first time, it is imperative that you do so on the same type of material as the garments that it will be stitched on. This allows you to see how the fabric will affect the quality of the sewing. Based on the sew-out you can make adjustments to the process, such as changing the type of backing, adding a topping, selecting a different needle or even editing the design. In addition, when getting your customer’s approval on the logo, you need to show it to him on the same material as the final garment, so that he gets a realistic representation of what the design is actually going to look like. If you were to offer him a sew-out on felt, for a job that was going on pique mesh, he will likely be disappointed (an understatement) with the order when you deliver it. So, keep those damaged goods and use them as needed. They might just prevent future rejects. Use them as reminders to your workers about what NOT to do. If you have employees and you have rejected garments, chances are there is a link between the two – poor training. Since most embroidery screw-ups are the result of operator error, it is useful to save specific examples of what can go wrong with a job and use them for training aids. Of course, storage of such items can be cumbersome, so take pictures and create a training manual that has images along with detailed instructions about what went wrong and how to prevent it in the future. Instead of recycling the unacceptable items, you can use them as reminders to your workers about what NOT to do. Hanging damaged goods in prominent places will provide constant feedback to the staff that they need to pay close attention to everything they do. For example, a shirt that was hooped crooked could be mounted on the wall behind your hooping station as a reminder to verify that each garment is hooped properly. A cap with the wrong thread colors could be mounted on top of a control panel as a message to double-check the thread color sequence that was loaded into the machine. Take it another step and add a placard with each garment that states what went wrong and how much it cost. The idea is not to demean your staff or surround them with negative messages; rather you are providing visual reminders that everything they do has an impact on the operation of the business. A word of caution: If customers routinely tour your production area, be sure that such reminders disappear during their visit. Sometimes, the damage is such that you can’t find a reasonable way to recycle the item. Or in the case of rejects used for test sewing materials, you run out of space to sew. The logical assumption is that there is no further use for it, so the reject should be delivered to the circular file for disposal. But wait! There are still some practical uses for even the most worthless reject. Cleaning rags are at the top of the last resort uses. Your machine(s) require frequent cleaning to remove excess oil, dust and lint, so you have an ongoing need for cleaning rags. Of course, some fabrics, such as 100% cotton knits, are better than others, but I’ll bet you have (or will soon have) an assortment of rejects that can be used for this purpose. Once you identify potential cleaning rags, get out the scissors and remove any physical appendages such as buttons and zippers, as they can catch on the machine components and possibly cause damage to fragile parts. In addition, they can scratch the paint. You might also want to remove collars, heavy seams, sleeves, etc so that you are left with a reasonable shape and size for your cleaning rags. If you have plenty of cleaning rags, then try stuffing pillowcases with the rejects and create weapons for pillow fights. If you have kids, you can get them out of your hair (and your shop) by sending them outside to take advantage of your new-found recreational items. If you have employees, they can work-out their frustrations on each other during a lunch break. If you have problem employees, you can work out your frustrations by beating them with their rejects… Okay, so maybe your lawyer has advised you that beating your employees with pillows created with their rejects is a bad idea. I have one last suggestion on how to make positive use of your rejected garments. Create the world’s largest ball of rags and enter it into the Guinness Book of World Records. Just go to www.guinnessrecords.com for details on how to enter. Who knows, maybe your rejects bring you fame and fortune through such publicity, thereby turning lost revenue into a profit motive. But considering how many rejects you would need to create such a record, perhaps it would be more cost effective to forget the Guinness Book and focus on reducing your reject rate to zero. Besides, it doesn’t make for positive publicity when your customers figure out that you set a record based on your reject rate!

By: James M. (Jimmy) Lamb
Published: June 2007

Embroidery Patterns

The introduction of computerized embroidery has resulted in numerous patterns readily available for your use. Indeed, you can simply search for and download patterns that suit you. You can opt for the patterns available for free or broaden your selection by purchasing premium quality ones. Many of the embroidery patterns are easy to use, some just requiring the use of a hot iron to transfer onto fabric. All these fall into special categories although there is some overlap.

Jacobean embroidery refers to the styles that were prevalent during the reign of King James I of England. It is currently used to describe a type of crewel embroidery that has fanciful plant and animal shapes. The Elizabethan style, on the other hand, derived its name from the reign of Queen Elizabeth, a period that was known for its costumes. There is a simple form of embroidery known as black work where black thread is stitched on off-white fabric and is normally carried out on even-weave fabric. It was traditionally stitched in silk thread on linen or cotton fabric. There are three main types of black work. The earliest ones used to have geometric or small floral patterns. Later types featured large designs flowers, fruit, and other patterns. In the latest styles, the outlined patterns are "shaded" with random stitches that imitate etchings. Presently black work has a modern feel due to its austere, formal quality.

Forbidden Chinese stitch was so named because it was forbidden among young girls since its fineness contributed to eyestrain. Some are so fine that they can barely be seen from more than a foot away! Triangle point embroidery uses a variety of equilateral triangles which are stitched in various colors, creating a geometric design. You begin with vertical stitches on two threads, followed by adjacent vertical stitches with four threads, others over six and eight threads respectively before repeating the procedure in reverse.

Pattern darning embroidery uses parallel rows of straight stitches of varying lengths to create a geometric pattern. Threads are anchored in the foundation fabric in the edge of a hole then carried across it and anchored on the other side. The hole is eventually covered with a mass of thread. Another type of embroidery is Berlin wool work, which is actually a subtype of canvas work. Fancy embroidery embellishes the seam lines between individual pieced shapes.

Commercial Embroidery

Sewing and embroidery in the US have gained a new life of their own, with a large multitude of the population turning towards these crafts at the beginning of the twenty first century. Among these, a lot of people who have gained expertise in the craft of embroidery have opened up or are planning to start a commercial embroidery business of their own. One of the major things that will concern you when starting a business of your own are the kinds of embroidery machines that you want to equip your enterprise with. Making the right decision with respect to the machines that you buy is extremely important because this is where the major part of your investment is going to be concentrated. A marketing strategy for your products can easily be changed if you make a mistake. However, if you end up buying the wrong kind of machines for your business, then you are pretty much stuck with them.

Therefore, it is imperative that you do as much research as possible before buying your commercial embroidery machines. Deciding upon the modus operandi of your business at the beginning itself will also help in narrowing down the kind of machine that you want. Once you know whether you plan to take large orders or small orders, do specialized work, offer only embroidery or provide sewing services as well, then it will become easier to narrow down your choice of embroidery machines.

Embroidery machines can be broadly classified into three kinds—only embroidery machines, combination machines and commercial machines. Embroidery machines are the ones that can be used only for embroidery while a combination machine lets you sew as well as embroider. Commercial embroidery machines, on the other hand, are machines that come with multiple heads and needles and are equipped for embroidering on a number of pieces at the same time. This is not to say that the previously mentioned embroidery machines are not to be used in commercial set ups. In fact, most commercial embroidery establishments are populated by such machines only. Even if you plan to go for large multiple head embroidery machines, buying at least one top of the line embroidery machine with maximum number of features makes sense for your business. This is because these machines are extremely useful for making embroidery samples. You will need to create multiple samples and keep on making changes in the sample till your buyer finally likes what you make. At times like these, using large machines made for embroidering dozens of pieces proves to be quite cumbersome and costly.

Embroidery Business

Embroidery, or the art of embellishing or adorning any kind of fabric with ornamental needlework, has been part of our culture since time immemorial. One always reads about white haired grannies or spinsters embroidering fabrics while weaving their tales. However toady, embroidery has come a long way since those days when people used to labor over a piece of cloth for weeks on end. It has been some years since computerized embroidery machines changed the way the world embroidered fabric. And with the advent of technology in the field of embroidery, more and more young entrepreneurs have taken to starting their own embroidery business.

Starting one’s own business is the best option for people who want to be their own bosses. When you own your own small business, then you are in a position to determine how much you want to earn and how many hours you want to put in. Apart from this, starting a business related to the crafts, like an embroidery business, gives you a chance to unleash your creativity as well. Starting an embroidery business of your own is a good idea if you want to stay at home for some reason or are already a stay at home mom. This is because you can easily set up a business at your home only, by designating even as less as one room as your work area.

Computerized embroidery machines have made getting into the embroidery business extremely easy. You do not need to be an experienced embroiderer in order to start an embroidery business of your own. You will just need to take a small tutorial, which is generally offered by most machine manufacturers on using your machine with an embroidery software and viola, you are in business! When programmed correctly, these embroidery machines can create complicated designs almost perfectly. So all you would need to know is how to use your software. These machines, as you might have guessed , are not cheap, but even then, most machine manufacturers offer very good financial deals and you can start your own business by investing less than thousand dollars also.

Starting an embroidery business is a very good idea right now, because the commercial embroidery market is worth 47bn dollars per year. On top of this, embroidery generally gets sold with at least 50%-100% markup on the cost price. You can start with selling to local organizations like clubs and sports centers. Educational and military institutions are also almost always in need of some embroidery services. With a little hard work and enterprise, you will soon be able to earn a lot of profit.

Embroidery Summary

Embroidery can be defined as the process of decorating a material, mostly a piece of cloth, with patterns that are stitched to it. This skill has a long historical background that has been passed in many generations from different cultures. There is mention of needlework even in the Old Testament Bible books such as Exodus. As an example,
there were a number of intricate designs stitched on the official robe of a high priest. Indeed, religious embroidery was more intricate, where vestments and alter pieces were delicately adorned. Church and court embroiderers were more professional than secular ones. The Red Indians in America embroidered their pieces of skin coverings with dyed porcupine quills.

In all these cultures, the common denominator has been the fact embroidery was a show of high status in the community. It was and still is very distinct from patching up an old cloth. Egyptian mummies have been found wrapped in garments completely covered with gold stitches. In some cultures, women were expected to posse’s embroidery skills.

Many different materials are used when making embroidery. These decorative objects include jewels, beads, shells, feathers, and metals among others. They are used in different ways that result in different classifications. The embroideries are mostly categorized depending on the relationship of placing stitches on fabric, for example whether the stitches pass under the fabric or not. Another classification depends on how the design is placed on the fabric, whether on top or through it.

During the early periods, both men and women had their attires embroidered. At present, however, embroidery has largely remained for female clothing’s. The method employed has also rapidly changed from hand-operation to computerized technology. The sewing machines are controlled by computers that read digital files. This has succeeded the use of designs punched on paper tape, which had a high error margin that required complete restart of a project. The use of computers in this field was introduced by Wilcom in 1980. The Internet has propelled the process even further as currently you can find practically thousands of designs for free. In addition, the reduction in costs of computers has made it accessible to more people.

Once you have a digitized embroidery design file loaded on an embroidery machine, simply place your fabric in the machine. Of course you need to stabilize the fabric first in order to prevent wrinkles. Finally start and monitor your machine.

The Art of Embroidery

Most of us aren't aware of how many ways there are to embroider, nor do we know all the innovations it's taken.Embroidery has been with us for many years, although it takes a number of forms. It's very popular these days with people who enjoy needlework.Basic embroidery means creating a pattern on fabric by using multi-colored threads. Chances are if you buy something already embroidered, it was done by machine. Hand embroidery is time consuming and doesn't lend itself to mass marketing. Most who embroider use a pattern, although some can create as they go.The patters are as inexpensive as the thread and needles. So without much investment on equipment, anyone can craft fascinating art work on tablecloths, napkins, blankets, dress- materials etc. Internet offers many embroidery related material on the web. You can easily find a lot of embroidery patterns on the web and print it at home or get it sent to you and use it in your embroidery.Advanced sewing machines are available today which can do embroidery with little assistance from you. Some are even software powered, which enables you to specify where to point the needle to craft a design to suit your requirement. But embroidery by hand still remains the first option of many people for whom it is a hobby. For them embroidery by hand provides a more fulfilling experience compared to embroidery by machine.If you interested in getting into embroidery but aren't sure where to start, you may be able to find a class at your local community college that can help you understand the basics. They will probably take you through a few simple designs and patterns. Once you understand how to read the pattern and do the stitching, you can pretty much tackle any design you're interested in.There are also many embroidery conventions and craft fairs throughout the country. Check out on of the many embroidery websites available on the Internet, they often have links to local events coming up. You can also find links to hundreds of sites offering free embroidery patterns, or patterns for discounted prices.Magazines are another great resource for pursuing an interest in embroidery. There are a number of them that you can subscribe to. You'll learn some helpful hints and get new patterns each month. These magazines will also teach you about needles and threads available. You can also learn about events and find super ideas for projects, especially seasonal ones.Embroidery is a hobby that many people have enjoyed for hundreds of years. You can create some beautiful designs and it is a very fulfilling past time. You don't have to be partially creative to start embroidery. As long as you can follow instructions and have a little patience, you can be creating interesting and unique designs in no time.

Saving Pennies...Wasting Dollars

Stretching your supplies to save money may end up costing you a lot more in the long run.

Part of being a successful shop owner is managing your costs. Therefore, it’s critical that you monitor where and how your money is being spent. However, that doesn’t mean you should cut corners. Instead, you need to spend your dollars wisely. Not making purchases for the sake of saving money is not necessarily smart money management. Here are some examples. Needles Do you save needles to reuse later? Do you try to see how long you can go without changing needles? Needles are cheap! Producing poor quality embroidery is not. Anytime you change from one style of needle to another, regardless of how long the previous needle was installed, throw the old one away. In addition, change out your existing needles on a routine basis. How often depends on how much sewing you are doing, but my preference is at least once per month. Consider this. A package of 100 needles averages $20.00 which works out to $0.20 per needle. Is it really worth it to reuse or overuse needles? Bobbins Bobbins are another area where you can be a bit overzealous. Do you run bobbins to the very end in order to maximize your cost savings? Nothing wrong with saving money, but this is another example of a wasted effort that can lead to costing you some real dollars in the long run. First of all, the quality of the last 5-10% of most bobbins is questionable. Many times, the thread coming off is kinked and brittle, leading to inconsistent tension and possibly bobbin thread breaks. Of course, every thread break slows down production and costs you money, but the inconsistent tension is a far greater concern since it can result in poor quality top stitching and/or bobbin thread showing on the top. When this happens, you may be forced to remove the stitches and re-sew that area of the design that was affected. And it’s quite possible you will have to remove the entire design and re-sew it from the beginning. Worse yet, you end up damaging the garment while trying to fix it, and then have to replace it. Bobbins are cheap - downtime and damaged garments are not. As a general rule, you can get about 30,000 stitches per bobbin (depends on tension and stitch lengths). Keep an eye on the bobbin and change it out at the beginning or end of a run, rather than in the middle. Thread Determined to stretch your thread purchasing dollars? Perhaps you have resorted to running a cone to the bitter end, standing guard at the machine and watching diligently until the last inch comes off the cone and makes its way up towards the thread tree, dangling and twisting in mid-air. You stop the machine, and gleefully replace the empty cone with a fresh one and then tie off the ends of the old thread to the new one. Then you carefully pull the knotted section through the upper thread path, down to the needle and through the eye. (Hopefully the knot doesn’t come apart along the way.) Wow, how much money did you just save by running this cone of thread out to the bitter end? Let’s see, a yard of thread from a $7.00 cone is worth about $0.12. In order to achieve this miraculous cost-savings, you camped out in front of the machine for several minutes waiting until the moment of final separation between thread and cone, then stopped the job in the middle of sewing to replace the thread cone. But I’m sure it was worth every penny, excuse me, fraction of every penny saved. Time is money in this business. Production needs to be continuous and uninterrupted. Plus, you need to make the most out of your own time, by keeping the production flowing, making sales, ordering products, managing inventory, etc. Wasting time trying to save a penny just doesn’t make sense. In addition, the final few yards of a thread cone may be of questionable quality, (just like with a bobbin) leading to tension problems and thread breaks. Both of these can cost you considerably more money than you would have saved by running the thread out to the end of the cone. Backing Backing is another area that you can get carried away with. It makes perfect sense to save large scraps of backing, leftover from big jobs such as jacket-backs, to reuse on smaller jobs like left-chest logos. However, in your zealous quest for saving a buck, are you setting yourself up for failure? One of the rules of hooping is that the backing must be larger than the hoop, so it is fully captured and supported by the hoop itself. The only way that backing provides stability to the garment is when it is properly secured to begin with. If not, then the degree of stabilization will be greatly reduced and possibly even eliminated. So any scraps that are too small to fit the required hoop should not be used. Now you might try to get really creative and piece together some small scraps so that as a combined unit, the size is greater than the area of the hoop. Another bad idea! If you have overlapping pieces of backing, then you will have uneven hoop tension. Remember that the backing is sandwiched along with the garment between the inner and outer hoop rings. Where there are multiple layers of backing between the hoop rings, there is a greater thickness, which means the hoop tension is greatest in these areas only. In the sections between the rings, where there is only one layer of backing, the hoop tension will be less. What that means is that the degree of stabilization is not equal all the way around the hoop, so the fabric will have the ability to shift during sewing in those locations of lesser hoop tension. Bottom line, you are only saving a tiny amount of money by reusing backing, and doing so improperly can lead to poor quality sewing, which can cost you a lot more in the long run. At the end of the day, the real money is in how much you successfully produced without any quality issues, as downtime and questionable quality are huge drains on your profitability. There is nothing wrong with trying to stretch your business dollars, just do sew wisely! By: James M. (Jimmy) Lamb Published: October 2007

Embroidery Thread Tensions

Simple tricks that you can use to adjust your tensions on a routine basis.

Thread tension is one of the most critical elements of machine performance. In order to form a stitch correctly and ensure quality sewing, the amount of tension or drag placed on both the upper thread and the lower thread must be precise and balanced. Think of the stitch process as a tug-of-war between the upper and lower threads. The desire is that neither overpowers the other. Too much tension on the upper thread (or too little on the bobbin thread) will result in bobbin thread being pulled up from below, so that it is visible along the edges of the area being stitched. Too little tension on the top (or too much on the bobbin thread) leads to loops forming in the area being stitched.

For the beginner, setting thread tensions can be a frustrating chore, as adjustments will have to be made periodically depending upon sewing conditions. For example, as a cone of thread gets close to the end, the tension tends to change. Thus, when you start to see the physical cone itself through the windings of the thread, it should serve as a reminder to pay close attention to the quality of the stitches being formed with that particular thread. In addition, different colors of thread have different tension requirements, as the dying process can affect the surface texture of the thread. This in turn can affect how easily it flows through the thread guides. Even humidity and temperature can affect thread tensions, as well as dirt and lint buildup along the thread paths. Bottom-line, there is no “EASY BUTTON” as tension adjustment is an ongoing process. There are devices such as tension gauges available to help you set tension correctly, but ultimately you need to learn quick, simple methods to adjust thread tensions on the fly. Most experienced embroiderers can do it by “feel”, but it takes a lot of time to develop that skill. In the meantime, we will discuss a couple of simple tricks that you can use to adjust your tensions on a routine basis. For the upper thread, most machine manufacturers offer some type of tool which will allow you to measure the tension. Using this data, you can make adjustments and then test the results. For example, Tajima has a device that looks somewhat like an oversized ink pen with a hook on the end. Essentially, you “hook” the thread, pull on it with the gauge and take a reading. Make any needed adjustments, then take another reading. It’s a quick and simple process that works reasonably well. With bobbins, you can also purchase a tension gauge which will provide you with a scientific way to measure the tension. As an alternative, you can also use the decades-old method known as the “drop-test”. It works for every make and model of machine. Drop Test steps Remove the bobbin case from the rotary hook. Unwind the bobbin thread from the pigtail, but do not remove it from under the thread tension spring. Place the bobbin case, with the bobbin installed, in the palm of one hand. With the other hand grasp the end of the bobbin thread, and gently pull out about 12 inches of thread. Gently left up and suspend the bobbin case above the palm of your hand. The bobbin should not drop, but remain suspended in the air about an inch above your hand. Gently bob your wrist (hand holding the bobbin thread) and check that the bobbin drops a few inches then stops. If the bobbin does not drop, then the tension is too tight. Adjust the tension screw (the larger one) on the tension spring (clip) counterclockwise to reduce the bobbin tension. If the bobbin drops freely, then the tension is too loose. Adjust the tension screw clockwise to increase it to increase the bobbin tension. NOTE: IF dirt builds up under the Thread Tension Clip/Spring on the bobbin case, it will cause the tension to be too loose, no matter how much the screw is tightened. Each time you change out the bobbin, you should inspect and clean the bobbin case. To be honest, more sewing tension problems are caused by the bobbin than the upper thread. However, since the upper thread is easier to access, more time is spent adjusting it, even though it may not be the culprit. So always pay close attention to the bobbin, even though it’s generally “out of sight, out of mind.” Once you have made basic adjustments to the upper and lower tension, you need to verify that both upper and lower tensions are balanced. There is a relatively simple test that will allow you to visually assess the state of the tension. Most commonly referred to as the “thirds” test, there are several slight variations of the process, but they all have the same goal: to verify the tension is balanced between upper and lower threads. First, create a design file for sewing the letter I in a 1” tall satin block font. The concept is to have the machine sew a series of satin stitches in virtually every direction plus in a curve. Sew this on a piece of test fabric – remembering that the fabric itself can affect the tension. Upon completion, examine the backside of the embroidery. You should see three parallel sections of thread, from left to right across each column as follows – Upper/Bobbin/Upper – in even thirds. (Thus the name “thirds” test.) (Left image) If there is more upper thread visible than bobbin thread, then the upper thread tension is too loose, or the lower thread tension is too tight. (Center image) If there is more lower thread visible than upper thread, then the upper thread tension is too tight, or the lower thread tension is too loose. (Right image) A more precise test is to sew the word FOX in 1 inch, all capital, satin block. This will force the machine to sew satin stitches in virtually all directions including a curve. Now that you are fully armed with the knowledge to make accurate thread tension adjustments, backed up by a test (the “thirds” test) to verify balance, you are ready to take on the world, confident in your ability to ensure picture perfect embroidery on each and every job. Well, don’t get too comfortable… You see, the adjustments and tests are all just guidelines to help you get within the ballpark of high quality stitching. But like many of the so-called rules in this industry, the tension-setting processes are not guarantees set in stone. Ultimately, it’s the quality of the stitching that determines whether the tension settings are correct or not. In fact, you can become obsessed with trying to balance tensions to the point that it’s counterproductive. Let me show you what I mean… How do you identify embroiderers in a retail store that sells embroidered apparel? They are the ones looking at the backside of the garment! Of course they are trying to determine whether the company that did the embroidery had balanced tensions in order to judge whether they produce the same high quality work as themselves. These are also the same people who spend hours trying to get an equal “thirds” proportion on the backside of their own designs, without ever sewing the first garment. Unfortunately, in the quest for perfect thread balance, they have blinded themselves to the reality of thread tension: The front is always more important than the back! The majority of the time, if the “thirds” test shows good balance, the resulting embroidery will be of high quality. But there are times when the back will not be balanced, yet the front will still be nearly perfect. As long as the backside shows proof of bobbin pickup and no bird’s nests or looping, it’s ok. In other words, don’t try to fix something that isn’t broken. If the front is good, don’t discount it because the backside doesn’t have a perfect thirds balance. To sum it all up, use the “thirds” test to get a baseline tension setting. Then adjust as needed to achieve the best possible stitch quality on the FRONT of the embroidery, while verifying that the back of the embroidery doesn’t have any flaws that could cause the stitches to work themselves loose over time or the machine to jam up during sewing

Test & Polish Your Design

The key to accomplishing a quality design is to never neglect testing your work by sewing a sample.

I’ve often been asked what type of software I use by new digitizers who are impressed with a polished embroidered sample of one of my designs. My explanation continues; it’s not the software, it’s in the digitizing! Although I do own a commercial system that contains all of the automatic bells and whistles, I could use the most basic software and get quality results. The only difference – it might take a little longer on systems that lack manual editing tools or the software may not be equipped to digitize particular code necessary for industry machines. Nevertheless, quality can be achieved on any system by making the effort to keep the machine running smooth and the embroidery neat.

The key to accomplishing a quality design is to never neglect testing your work by sewing a sample. It’s the only way you’re able to see what needs polish. It must be remembered that what is viewed onscreen, whether it’s in simulation form or lines, is not what will appear in actual stitches! Certainly, some minor flaws might go unnoticed, but overall, if polishing is omitted, most likely you’ll find yourself scratching your head saying, “Something is wrong, but I just can’t put my finger on it!”

So, after you’ve completed digitizing the design, head straight for the machine and sew a sample with the expectation it will be your first test sample. If you wish to reach that stage of high quality, another sample should be sewn each time you’ve made modifications. Sew on the same type of fabric or other substrate that will be used in the final sewing, along with all stabilizers and toppings. Also, use the planned final thread colors. A dark color will usually sink lower than a light color, so when a light section is sewn first and a dark section overlaps it later, there is more chance that the lighter thread will pop through the overlap. An additional line or zigzag column of underlay in the dark color may be needed along the lighter color’s sewn edge to assure under stitching doesn’t pop through.

Once you’ve got the design running, it’s not time to leave the machine for a cup of coffee! Keep your “nose to the hoop” and jot down any machine errors, along with any thoughts for improvement. Very often errors such as an unplanned jump stitch will occur in the underlay and by the time you return to the machine, evidence of the possible error could be covered with top stitches. Also, problems in tension may occur that correct themselves when you’re not looking, making it difficult to determine if a narrow column was due to machine error or the digitizing. Make the job of observation easier by printing out the design prior to sewing so you can make notes on the print-out near or on the exact area as the design sews. When complete, leave the sample in the hoop as this makes it easy to prop the sample up to be viewed closely as you edit. Also do not clip any long threads or try to tidy it up in any way. You want to see all actions, errors and anything in need of improvement!

With the first sample and notes complete, prepare to spend enough time at the design computer to polish all areas in need. After you believe you’ve made all corrections, test-sew once again. Most likely you’ll see great improvement, but if it still needs tweaking, repeat the process until your design shines! Following is a “polishing check list” to get you started: Correct all machine errors observed while sewing: remove unnecessary jump stitches by rerouting paths; remove unnecessary trims or add trims where needed; remove excess stitches that cause thread breaks; and add or remove color change commands where necessary. If the needle must jump across a column to create a satin stitch, change the stitch type to a column fill, which eliminates jumps by inserting stitches between those at the column’s sides. Check densities: if columns buckle, feel hard or appear raised, reduce density; if jagged or sparse, increase the density either by adjusting the value or increasing the underlay stitches. Check for a build-up of stitches at corners of columns; correct the affected area by adding short stitches or lighten the density, or change the type of corner, i.e. use a mitered corner to replace a bulky angled corner. If puckering of fabric or a distortion in the design occurs, adjust stitch length and density to be conducive to the substrate and/or add additional underlay for increased stabilization. Check for gaps between sections and/or between the outline and stitched sections and correct by extending the border of the section that sews first, and/or add underlay stitches, such as a light density zigzag along the border to stabilize the affected area. Look for areas where underlay stitches may have popped out from under a column or beyond a filled edge; adjust the line of underlay inward and/or shorten the stitch length in the affected area. Correct problems, such as where stitching pulls out at the end of a column because a lock stitch has been omitted, or where the bobbin has been pulled up to the surface, as this may be due to an excess of stitches in one spot. If a line of lettering is not sewing straight, change the sequence so the lettering is sewing last; stitches that sew after the lettering may pull fabric and distort previously sewn stitches. Look for any odd stitch that doesn’t belong or is unintended, such as a long stitch that begins at one end of a column, lies across the stitches, and ends at the end of the column; this is a sign that the in- and out-points of the column have been reversed or are set inaccurately. By Bonnie Landsberger Published November 2007